George grant hepburn



Feb. 12 1924. 1,483,858

G. G. HEPBURN WATER FILTERING AND SOFTENING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 20, 1925 INVENTOR.

GLCT-H eplrumn A TTORNEYS.

Patented F eb. 12,. 192 4.

UNITED STATES 1,483,858 PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE'GBANT' HEPBUBN. OF CHOBL'IldN-GUH-HABDY, ENGLAND.

WATER surname AND sorrnnme urnanrcs.

Application filed au ust 20, 192a Serial No. 655,420.

To all whom it may concern:

it known that I GEORGE GRANT Hnr- BURN, a subject of the king of Great Britain and Ireland, and resident of 52 Newport Road, (lhorlton cum Hardy, Manchester, En land, have invented certain new and use ul' Improvements in Water Filterin and Softening Apparatus, of which the to lowing is a specification.

This invention relates 'to water softening processes and more particularly to a paratus employed for the filtering and so ening of water by the processtdescribed and claimed in my prior U. SI Patent No. 1,426,638 dated Aug. 22, 1922 wherein peat is employed which after use for a time requires to have its water softening powers re enerated.

invention comprises an apparatus for the til tering and softening of water in which,

the fibrous/mass having the powerof softening water is adapted to be subjected to a squeezing action by a hand or power press so as to remove excess of water therefrom prior to its treatment with the regenerative agent -or agents and durin washing, the mass bein allowed to ex an and to absorb water during the water ltering and softening process.

eferring to the accompanymg drawing, Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the improved filtering apparatus, and,

Fi 2 is a plan view of one of the members or agitating for opening out the water filtering and softenin material.

Referring tothe rawing in detail, the water may enter the press at a on the side near the top and a: water outlet is provided at b. Within the press the peaty or. fibrous mass (hereinaftercalled '(peat) may be supported between upper an lower perforated plates; wire gauze may be placed between the peat and the said plates. In the illustration, the peat is carried by a bed of quartz or other mechanical filtering material (1 supported on the perforated plate a)- throug which the water passesto the filter outlet connection. The upper perforated plate f' constitutes the pressure plate of a screw or other typejof power or hand .press.

The s indle g of the press passes through a three ed bush h.

- The plate f'is connected with the upper bifurcated end of a shank n havin -a .p ural'ity of spacedcollars o thereon tween which latter a're'movably mounted a plusides. The members m serve, when the plate treatment has been effected b an upward filtration through'the peat, wi I be returned hausted, the water flow therethrough is rality "of multi-arm members m. The collars 0 on the shank n are so spaced that when the plate 1 is being raised, the uppermost member m will be positively raised first and the remaining members raised in succession.- It will be understood, after the peat has been compressed, the parts m will all firmly engage the, collars 0 at their upper f is raised, to open out or break up the peat which has been previously compressed and so facilitate the flow of watertherethrough l for softenin' purposes.

A manho e is provided at k for the insertion and withdrawal of the fibrous mass.

A quartz or other. filter bed may be provided at p. The water entering at a passes first through the filter bed p, then through the annular passage 9 to the filter bed beneath the pressure plate f.

It will be understood that filtration may take place either in an upward or in a downward direction as may be desired or as may be the more convenient. If in an upward direction 1) becomes the water inlet and a the water olitlet. I

The filter bed p may be washed by allowing water to enter it at a and leave by the pipe 1'. If the valve 8 be open and the valve t be 'shut, any matter in suspension in the wash water will pass to waste. If, however, it be open and a shut such matter which will be from the peat bed if the previous to the latter.

v In service, the peat, which may have been prepared in accordance with the process of my prior specification, is laced in the filter u and is allowed to expand reel to theextent permitted by the plate f whilst the water passes therethrough and issoftened. When the softening powers of the peat are exinterrupted, the peat is com ressed to reduce its bulk and ex el water t erefrom, and a. solution of .sodlum chloride is passed into the peat to regenerate the softeningproperties thereof. The peat is then washed and opened out or broken up by the raising of the'pressure plate and the members m. The supply of water is now restored and the softening action recomme'nces.

It will be understood that the peat may be opened out by themembers m after being compressed and before the introduction of sodium chloride thereto for regenerating its water softening properties. Further, after treatment With sodium chloride the peat may be squeezed and then opened out be fore washing. After washing and before water softening commences, the peat may also be compressed by the plate f.

If desired, the regeneration may be effected by a continuous process. by passing salt solution slowly through the material in the press.

I may vary the details of my apparatus to v suit any particular requirements.

I claim 1. In a filtering apparatus, a'casing. a perforated support in said casing, a mechanical filtering material disposed on said perforated support, a peaty massupon said mechanical filtering material, a perforated plate arranged upon said peaty mass, a shank depending from the perforated plate, a plurality of independently movable agitating members carried by said shank, and means for limiting the movement of the respective agitating members with relation to said shank.

2. A filtering apparatus asclaimed in claim 1 characterized in that the means limiting the. movement of the agitating members is so arranged asto cause the uppermost a itating member to he moved upwardlycoincident with the upward move ment of the shank and to cause the remaining agitating members to move upwardly in succession.

In testimony whereof I have signed name to this specification.

GEORGE GRANT HEPBURN. 

